Raises: Slip-Slidin' Away

We got some bad news recently regarding our proposed salary study, which should institute a salary scale and an orderly progression of raises for our Management and Confidential (M&C) employees.  But first, some background.

Last summer, the Performance Review and Goal Setting Committee (PRGS) developed a one-year raise plan (details here) in order to begin the work of salary justice among our M&C workers.  In September, a special meeting of PRGS was held, with all Board members invited, to hear Ronni Travers, from Public Sector HR Consultants, outline the consultant services her company could provide in this regard:  a comprehensive salary study including recommendations for an ongoing salary scale, including comparisons with other similar County scales - not just salary, but benefits, hours, working conditions, job titles and descriptions, etc.  They would also fully integrate a County Manager into the study.  To most of us, it sounded like the best approach to an ever-growing problem.

The County can't just decide to contract with a consultant - we have to send out a Request for Proposals (RFP) and invite a wide variety of consulting organizations to respond with their plans and pricing.   The RFP for the salary study finally went out early this year (after a completely unnecessary delay), and because of the way it was written - by 'our purchasing department,' which is the Onondaga County Purchasing Department - Ms. Travers' company did not respond.  The two organizations which did respond really weren't qualified, primarily because they had no experience working with Counties.  One, it seemed, had no experience at all, and the other wanted to charge us twice the rate noted in the RFP.

So after further unnecessary delay, a second RFP was "put out on the street" in July, this time written with more care and clearly encompassing what PSHRC had offered to do.  However, just last week, we received a response from PSHRC, informing us that they were not able to take our project on at this time.  

We will see if we get any other responses this time that are any better than the ones we got last time.  But the truth is, we will have spent an entire year in a fruitless attempt to solicit a professional salary study that a respected organization had offered us at the beginning of that year.  This seems incredible to me, and suggests that there are major problems in the way we do government.

What makes this even worse is the fact that the salary study was our single, focused initiative for moving forward on the County Manager.  So - unless we get a wonderful proposal out of thin air in the next few weeks, we have no plan for establishing an M&C salary scale, and no plan for moving forward with a County Manager.

This does not mean that plans will not emerge.  They will, and, given the timing, they will be substantially affected by the results of November's elections.  But for now, this does not look like the way to run a County.

To the Heart of the Matter

...and here is the rest of the letter begun below.  Andrew uses the difficulties in managing the NTS closing as an example of the real inadequacy of County government, as it is currently structured, to manage large numbers of these types of issues in a coordinated manner.  We are largely working in silos, semi-independent Committees made up of a handful of laymen, operating without clear lines of communications or procedural guidance, trying to oversee twenty-some-odd departments without providing any overall direction or coordination.  We're a $110,000,000 organization without a CEO.

I don't agree with everything that Andrew says here, but our disagreements are minor and often just a matter of scale.  I believe that a County Manager is part of the solution to these fundamental structural problems, but only one part - we have quite a bit more to do even after a manager is in place.  

In reflecting on these recent developments about the upcoming closure of NTS and the notification process, I
have come to realize the situation facing Otsego County government operations is a true crisis. Otsego County
government is dependent on an ineffective committee and leadership structure, and immediate action is required to
strengthen and improve the County for success to result. First, it is important to remember that the County’s operating
budget is well over $100 million and hundreds of people are employed, and yet, the County has no central authority,
manager or administrator. Thus, all operating decisions are funneled through a group of committees carrying out a
duplicative approval process where a home committee votes on actions like a new hire or purchase request first, then
this same action is voted on and approved by the Administration Committee, and finally the full Board votes on this
resolution at a Board meeting. This system of management by committee is significantly limited by committee and
Board meetings that are held once a month. The end result is that the Otsego County Board is mostly approving
operating transactions. Hiring a new employee, making a budget transfer, carrying out a purchase of supplies, or
attending training are common examples.
The County Board’s focus on transactional decisions limits the opportunity to address other policy
considerations. Committee meetings require Department Heads to provide detailed background information on actions
like a budgeted new hire, while leaving little to no time for other policy considerations and discussions. Compare this
situation to most other companies or organizations of similar size (or smaller) where a manager can move forward with
this hire based on approval by budget or from the company president or organizational executive director. Overall,
many County committee meetings are lengthy, lasting hours.
Another challenge resulting from the County’s committee structure is the micromanagement of general
operations. Over the last year and a half (and longer in some cases), committees have struggled to complete various
projects, like a workplace violence investigation, compensation study of department heads, fleet management program,
the management of tower site leases, and even the Onondaga purchasing partnership. Where committees have
specifically taken it upon themselves to carry out general operations, the structure and limitations of the committee
system have been obstructions to decision making and taking action. Ultimately, Department Heads, who are the
experts and carry out the day-to-day operations, are the key to successful implementation of policy decisions the County
Representatives approve. Thus, when the County decided to repair and renovate the Northern Transfer Station, the
implementation of this decision rests with the Director of Planning, Karen Sullivan, and the Planning Department. If the
SWEC Committee were to have taken a direct operations role in managing this process, the construction decisions would
have been clearly limited and slowed or even not completed in timely manner.
Finally, the County’s leadership structure is insufficient to support County operations. There is a County Chair,
who is elected annually by the Board, but the Chair is not a full-time position. The County Chair is not positioned as a
County manager or administrator, nor does the Chair supervise Department Heads on a daily basis. The County Chair
also does not convene any management meetings with all Department Heads. There is no coordination of the
committees or committee chairs either. Committee chairs are not convened as a group, and there is not a standard
committee operating approach. The County Chair position exists more so as a mechanism to set the committees, make
appointments, run Board meetings, approve contracts and serve as a point of contact. It is a position offering
coordination, but there is no primary focus on policy development, nor focus on management. Thus, the current
position structure creates a shortfall in both areas negatively impacting County operations.
The future success of Otsego County depends on embracing change. The current system is failing us, and we
must take immediate action. First, the County should not delay any longer in approving a County manager or
administrator position. Otsego County needs a central point of contact who will supervise and convene Department
Heads, while supporting them in their positions. A County manager will also guide the implementation of policy set by
the County Board of Representatives and bring it into action. Committee meetings can be streamlined and focus more
on policy discussions. The County Chair position will be improved and allow more focus on policy setting. The County
Chair can also better coordinate the committee chairs and provide more direction. Overall, these changes will allow the
County to be more effective and achieve greater success with its committee system and County Chair position.

I need to make it clear that none of these problems is the result of any failing on the part of our Department Heads or management staff.  In fact, it is they who have held us together as County leadership kind of stumbles forward from crisis to crisis without a way to truly lead everyone.  I give them all - what did we do to deserve such talented leaders? - enormous credit for the hard work and ingenuity they exhibit day in and day out to keep the County moving in the right direction.

Northern Transfer Station

Andrew Marrietta, County Rep from the town of Otsego, recently prepared this letter in order to clear up the confusion, created primarily by a political opponent, regarding the closure of the Northern Transfer Station, outside of Cooperstown on Rt. 28.  The facility, which has been deteriorating for years and was, originally, poorly designed, leading to safety and traffic issues, will be updated and improved, resulting in a much better experience for all concerned.  The renovation will, however, required a six week closure, which is, naturally, of concern to residents.

     For the last year and half, I have received many phone calls about the disrepair of the Northern Transfer Station
in Cooperstown. I have had local Cooperstown residents call me about punctured car tires, and they have related how
they no longer visit the Transfer Station or bring their recycling because of the poor quality of the entrance road and
paving around the building. I’m a frequent visitor to the Transfer Station myself, going there weekly. There is no
question that the Transfer Station is in need of significant repairs and shows the impact of years of deferred
maintenance.
     Since being appointed to the Solid Waste and Environmental Concerns (SWEC) Committee in January of 2016, I
have continuously learned about the County’s solid waste management operations, including the significant repairs
planned for the Southern Transfer Station in Oneonta and the Northern Transfer Station in Cooperstown. The SWEC
Committee received updates on these construction plans and coordination between Casella Waste Management and
Cobleskill Stone, including that the general rollout was to occur sometime in 2017. This construction information shared
with SWEC also made clear that the scope and scale of the work at the Northern Transfer Station would require some
limited closure. Although the question was raised about trying to allow some kind of access during the repair and
renovation, the safety and logistical challenges were stressed and outweighed any such option.
     I also have learned through the SWEC Committee that the County supports a number of Drop-Off Centers, which
are listed on the County website (www.otsegocounty.com/depts/sw/OCDropoffCenters.htm) , and include Cherry
Valley, Decatur, Exeter, Hartwick, Maryland, Morris, Oneonta, Pittsfield, Richfield, Springfield, Unadilla, Westford and
Worcester. Many of these Drop-Off Centers offer recycling and bagged garbage disposal options. More specifically, I
learned that the Drop-Off Centers in Exeter, Cherry Valley and Richfield Springs offer recycling and bagged garbage
options, while Hartwick offers recycling only.
     Otsego County’s solid waste management information and efforts are guided by the County’s Planning
Department Head Karen Sullivan and her staff. The SWEC Committee members are supported and informed by these
essential County employees. With this in mind, the July 31st announcement that the Northern Transfer Station closure
would occur August 21st and last until September 30th was not ideal. I myself actually learned on July 31st of the
Cooperstown Transfer Station upcoming closure first from a constituent, John Phillips, who called me from NTS about
notices being given. I then called Karen Sullivan about this notice, which she confirmed and explained the reasoning for
the action and her Department’s plans to notify residents and work to make the most of the 3 week timeframe. She
indicated Board notification and a press release were being sent, which all County Reps received that day (July 31st).
     Overall, this news was unexpected, but regardless of the timing, I understood this was a difficult decision made by our
Department Head in the best interest of Otsego County, so I contacted the Town of Otsego Supervisor, the Mayor of
Cooperstown and my additional contacts about the closure on July 31st. I emphasized the scope of the work being
carried out (relocation and replacement of 30 year old scale; improving the scale entry and traffic flow; new drainage
catch basins; removing the “mound” that exists adjacent to the existing scale house with a smaller unit; road
improvements; and new signage), and I pointed out the Drop-Off Centers. I also encouraged people to attend the
August 2nd County Board meeting, including John Phillips, to share their feedback and concerns about the closure. It was
at this meeting that expanding the operating hours of Exeter to mirror the Cooperstown Transfer Station (Mon, Wed,
Friday 7am to 12pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm), which was already a County Drop-Off Site, was discussed and then
finalized the next day.